Motorcycle trip to Romania : Bicaz Gorge. Day 5 (and half of day 6!)

Adventures

We hadn’t had much time left for our Romanian adventure, but we’ve made our minds on the spot. The last time we got into Bicaz Gorge it was quite dark and we were soaking wet from the rain, so we wanted to try to improve our memories about Bicaz, before heading back home.

Packing for Bicaz

Transfagarasan greeted us with a maybe chilly, but still sunny, pretty morning.
We wanted to record the sunrise again, but the huge mountains around wouldn’t let us :P

Sunny morning at Transfagarasan

It was hard to start the packing up process.

Finishing packing

Last safety checks to be sure Africa is doing fine

Though we regretted we have to go so fast.

Leaving the Transfagarasan serpentines

When we reached the road blockade, we hesitated a bit if rolling back Africa to the civilization will go off well as our befriended motorcyclists said yesterday. Even without the baggage Africa is heavy enough. One bad move on the curb and we would have to call for some crane to get her back (or rather to get back her wreck :P)

Preparing Africa for rolling

There wasn’t anyone at the blockade to ask for any help. So we managed the operation on our own.
But as they promised us – everything went well and after couple of minutes we were taking last look at the no entry sign.

Last look at Transfagarasan blockade

From Transfagarasan to Bicaz

We had to get back to Cartisoara and turn into road 1 through Fogaras to leave the Fagaras Mountains behind.

Leaving Fagaras Mountains

We held to road 1 up to Sercaia. Then we took the route through road 13 to get to Rupea Gara.
From there we got to Cata, while riding pass the Homorod.

Stronghold at Cata

You would remember the ride through those little towns as it is characteristic through the number of medieval strongholds you will encounter there.

From Cata we moved by the 132B road to Oraseni, where we took 131 road to Martinis. Then we rode straight to Baile Homorod to get to Satu Mare by 13A road.
We had some offroad track to cover near the Satu Mare, but we decided to rather try offroad near the Lacu Rosu.

After passing Satu Mare we turned into Bradesti and as always we took a rest at the Zetea Lake Dam.

View On The Zetea Lake

The Zetea Lake Dam

From Zetea Lake getting to Georgheni is easy and we were grateful it led as through the forests as the day was getting hot.

Mine at 138 road

At Georgheni we turned to Lacu Rosu for a quite fun ride through the 12C road serpentines crawling the hills.

View from the 12C road

The Lacu Rosu little treasures

When we got to Lacu Rosu the sun was starting to hide behind the horizon.
Still we’ve got the plan to go for a wild camping somewhere there. So we tried a offroad ride by the unnamed road leading through some super small villages hidden between the hills.

Some small offroad

The road to our chosen on the map, perfect for the camping meadow was sometimes quite picturesque.

More small ofroad

What a stone!

But we actually didn’t expect to see… that!

A small Bicaz Gorge!

We were quite astonished, although, judging by the overall region landscape type, you could predict that somewhere here some little treasure is still hid from the more lazy tourists :P

We did reach our destination on the open grassland.

Our wild camping spot

But we have chosen we’re too close to the buildings and some wood-cutters were working there so we decided to not disturb anyone :P
Also we had an idea to go for a trekking early in the morning so a motel seemed a good idea to have a safe place to leave the stuff.

Small Bicaz Gorge

Trekking at Lacu Rosu

We slept like we were dead, but still we managed to get to the breakfast on time!

This was first decent breakfast for a while so it had to be eternalized :P

The weather was doing us a favor – perfect for a hike.

Yay the weather!

So we got our lazy butts up the trail to the highest point at Lacu Rosu – Suhadrul Mic.

Our hike target

The trail start

The first part of the track leads through the forests and meadows.

Just in the end, before reaching the peak, you notice that you actually have to be somwhere near the Bicaz, as the huge stone wall outcrops just at the trail.

Snapshot from the trail

Legs day!

We were just about to get to the highest point, laughing and fooling around, when suddenly we noticed him…

A big, shaggy shepherd’s dog standing on our path looking intensely our way and not even twitching. There wasn’t any sign of any owner anywhere around. The cheerful mood gone away.

We’ve read a lot about shepherd’s and wild dogs before – one of worse guys you can meet.
The Albanian dogs were suppose to be the worst. But actually we didn’t want to test if this Romanian buddy was more friendly or not. (We also didn’t meet many dogs in Albania, so that wouldn’t be a decent comparison at all if you think we’re chickens, ekhem :P)

We decided to leave the path and somehow get to the peak somewhere around, through the bushes.

The moment we climbed the peak edge we saw… another, smaller dog and a hiker giving him water.‘Are those dogs yours?’ he asked us.

The big evil dog was right there too and our effort with forcing our way through the bushes was wasted!

Though from this distance he didn’t look so dreadful. He seemed a little tired from the heat and perfectly relaxed as he decided to lay down.

Nightmarish beasts!

Quelling the monster!

Reassured that the danger is averted we could finally see, how Lacu Rosu looks from the little mountain top.

View from the Suhardul Mic peak

Looking down

Our new friend also enjoyed the view

There was also a small path leading to the other side of the Suhadrul Mic.

Getting to the other side of the Suhadrul Mic top

So we checked what’s there too.

More views!

The whole journey – up the trail and down again – took us about 2 hours.

The Bicaz Gorge

Shortly after the hike we were packed and ready for the ride to the Bicaz Gorge.

The gorge lies just 3 kilometers from the Lacu Rosu. And those 3 kilometers can give you a forestest of what comes next.

Small ravine on the way from the Lacu Rosu to the Bicaz Gorge

Brake for stone admiring

When we arrived to the gorge, we’ve met a lot more tourists than 2 years ago, when we got here at a rainy dusk.
But yeah, we expected it. If you see the little shops just at the road side, then you now there must be lots of tourists usually.

The Bicaz Gorge little shops

Want to admire the nature mastery solitary? Not here :)

The road running through the Bicaz Gorge itself is only 6 to 8 kilometers long (different sources report the length differently).

The Bicaz Gorge at one second of solitude

So the ride is short, but twisty. The uncommon view, while you actually drive at the heart of the hollowed mountain, between the 300 meter high stone walls and under the stone ledges, will leave you deeply impressed. We even rode it three times :)

Although, as I’ve mentioned before – this is beautiful, but touristic place.
So, honestly, I think the Suhadrul Mic trekking and the little Bicaz offroad made the most of awesomeness of our trip to Bicaz and we would go back just for more trekking as we didn’t explore everything :)

Get this adventure too

Distance

~263 km

Road surface

Asphalt on the normal roads. Gravel and mud on the road to the small Bicaz gorge